Protect Me (Rivers Edge Book 4)(3)

"Wait! Who the hell are you? And where the hell is my sister?" I ask as I give my noggin one final, firm shake.

The woman reaches the back door and stops. She doesn't turn around right  away, but I can tell that my questions have got her wheels turning.  "Who are you?" she asks as she slowly turns towards me.

I push up off my knees and slowly stand up. I'm instantly dizzy from the  sudden movement and start to lean heavily to the right. Fortunately,  the doorway keeps me from kissing the concrete floor.

"My sister owns this place. Who the hell are you?" I ask again.

"Oh my gosh," she declares with wide, surprised eyes. Her petite hands  both go up to cover her mouth as the shock starts to take hold. She  slowly starts to walk towards me, still hesitant with her steps as if  she's afraid I'm going to attack her. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know who  you were, I swear!"

The woman finally reaches me and hesitantly touches her hand to my  forearm. Electricity shoots through my hyper-aware body as the sensation  of her touch takes hold. I stagger, again, but this time, I don't think  it's from the blows to the head.

"Come over here and sit down," she says as she leads me towards the  closest chair. I drop my large body down onto the hard chair and lean my  elbows on the table, cradling my throbbing head.

"Name?" I ask through gritted teeth.

"Lia," she whispers and the sound of her voice, her name, washes over  me. "I just started here a couple of days ago. This is my first time  opening up in the morning without Avery," she continues, her voice shaky  as she comes down from the adrenaline rush.                       
       
           



       

"Well, Lia," I say as I lift my head out of my hands and gaze into her  stunning eyes. "I'm Nate, Avery's brother. Do you always go around  trying to knock off the heads of guys who stop by for a cup of coffee?"

"No … no. Of course not. You just startled me. I wasn't expecting anyone. I  was getting ready to go unlock the front door when I heard you come in  the back," she says.

"You could have asked, ‘Who is it?' or ‘Can I help you?' Either of those  would have been better than striking me with a pan," I reply  deadpanned.

Lia looks down at her hands that are moving restlessly on the tabletop.  It's the first time I get a decent look at her without the slight  concussion affecting my vision. She has her long brown hair pulled up in  some sort of bun thingy and sweeping bangs that hang just above her  eyes. And her eyes … they are this intoxicating shade of gray with bright  blue flakes bursting through. She also has the cutest button nose that  makes me want to tweak it with my thumb and finger like I do to my  niece, Bean. But by far, her best feature is her neck. Seriously. It's  long and lean and curves seductively from her collarbone to her  earlobes. I can see her pulse point beating wildly as she swallows hard.

"I'm so sorry," she says again, finally meeting my gaze head-on. "I  shouldn't have attacked you like that. I'm just a little jumpy, I  guess," she adds with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

"I'd say," I mumble and reach up, gingerly touching the back of my head.  Oh, yeah. Definitely going to have a mark from that one.

"Here, let me get you some ice," she says as she stands and hurries back to the kitchen.

I hear her rummaging around as she tries to locate whatever it is she's  looking for. I decide to head back into the kitchen and help her out.  Hell, I'm definitely ready for that cup of coffee now. Preferably with a  little Jack Daniels.

When I step into the kitchen, she is extended into the big freezer and  is dropping ice into the baggie in her hand. She startles again when I  come up behind her, causing her to wobble on her long, jean-clad legs. I  reach forward and catch a hold of her before she can go down. Lightning  strikes a second time as my much larger hand wraps firmly around her  upper arm. Her wide eyes look at me with … shock? Fear? Heat? Hell, I  can't tell anymore. Maybe that pan caused some sort of temporary damage.

She walks with me over to the large stainless steel island in the middle  of the kitchen. Lia grabs me by the shoulder and turns me so that she's  standing behind me. She ever so gently places the bag of ice against my  swollen melon.

The cold instantly soothes the dull ache in my head, but it's the heat  that concerns me now. Lia stands mere inches from me, her front to my  back. One hand holds on to the bag of ice while the other holds firmly  against my head to keep it from moving. Her quickening breath peppers  the back of my neck causing my pants to tighten instantly. Being this  close to her threatens to unravel all of the self-control I've mustered  up in the last minute.

"So, why are you so jumpy?" I ask as she continues to hold the ice on  the back of my head. Honestly, it doesn't hurt much anymore, but for  some foreign reason, I want her body close to mine and her hands pressed  against my scalp, so I keep my damn mouth shut.

"Oh, you know," she says with an uncomfortable chuckle. "A girl can never be too careful these days," she adds.

Something underlying that she doesn't say, has me turning around. I  heard the words she said, but I sense that there is something deeper  into her reaction.

Lia drops her hands from my head, one still cradling the bag of melting  ice. We are close enough to touch. To kiss. I honestly consider it. I  want to lean forward and kiss the hell out of this woman. We both stare  at each other, both lost in each other's eyes. Her eyes hold so much  sadness and pain. It's like they haven't truly shined like the jewels  they are in forever. Something deep inside me yearns to make them shine  again. To bring out the vibrant colors in her eyes and make them light  the world. I want to give her this.

I lean forward ever so slightly and continue to look in her eyes. I see  the questions, the challenge, the fear, and the heat - all there within  those magnificent eyes. Lia licks her lips subconsciously and lifts her  chin. We are mere inches apart yet it feels like canyons between us.  She's hiding something, I can tell.

Just when I decide to go for broke and kiss the hell out of this enigma  of a woman, the back door springs open. Lia and I jump apart like two  teenagers and Lia drops the baggie of ice on the floor.                       
       
           



       

"I'm sorry I'm late, Lia, I just -" Avery says. "Oh, Nate. What are you  doing here?" she asks with a look of pure surprise etched all over her  face.

"Hey, sis. I just stopped by for a cup of coffee and something sweet on  my way home," I tell her as I casually cross my arms over my wide chest.  I love coffee, and even in the early morning after working a long  shift, I still crave the taste. Decaf allows me to enjoy the taste  without wiring me for the next three hours. Plus, Mom's cinnamon rolls  are my favorite, and I never pass up an opportunity to grab one.

"Oh, okay. Did Lia get you a cup? Did you officially meet her?" Avery  asks as she sets her purse down on the small desk in the little room  that my mom used for an office.

"Not officially," I say as I extend my hand towards the woman in front of me. "Nate Stevens."

She hesitates momentarily, but eventually places her small hand inside of mine. "Lia Walker," she replies. Electricity.

"Nice to meet you, Lia Walker," I say as I gently pump her hand up and  down. I don't pull away. Hell, I can't pull away. I lean forward ever so  slightly, dropping my voice to just above a whisper. "Next time, I  expect a smile instead of a pan to the head."

Lia blushes the fiercest shade of pink and drops her eyes to the floor.  "I'm so sorry," she mumbles. "I promise not to hit you again."

I stand straight up and turn my attention back to my sister who was  silently watching our exchange. "I'm heading home to sleep. I'll see you  later, Ave," I say as I walk over and place a kiss on her cheek.

"Bye, Nate. Sleep well," she says with a knowing smile on her face.

I walk towards the door and give Lia a quick glance over my shoulder.  She's staring at my ass. Effin' A! I can't help the smug smile that  crosses my face as her eyes work their way up my body and collide once  more with my own. She blushes again before returning her eyes to Avery. I  head out the door with a little pep in my step and a lot of tightness  in my pants. Lia Walker is a mystery to me, but if there's one thing I  enjoy, it's unraveling a good mystery.





*****




It took me longer than usual to fall asleep this morning. When I closed  my eyes, all I could see was blue-gray eyes filled with so much emotion.  Something deep and dark is lurking within those stunning eyes. I felt a  pull towards Lia like I've never felt before. A sexual pull, of course,  but also something more. I feel this overwhelming urge to protect her  from the secrets she's clearly carrying. It's all I think about as I  slowly drift off to a restless sleep.